Filmmaker returns to the classroom to launch 3-D teaching aids

PRINCETON TOWNSHIP — When Todd Parker was a high school student at The Hun School, his physics teacher would wrap up most lessons by slipping a VHS tape into the slot and pressing play. In a darkened room, students with drooping eyes would fight to stay awake as images crossed the screen.

Recently, when teacher and student were reunited at a conference for science teachers in New Jersey, Parker was much more awake. In fact, the formerly sleepy student has made a job of keeping kids awake in class — through the use of a 3-D animation software he distributes called Eureka.

“Schools are already promoting the use of digital media because it is more effective and, really, that’s the way the world is going,” Parker said.

The 36-year-old township resident argues that the day everyone has seen coming — when traditional textbooks are replaced by interactive computer programs — has arrived. He said 55 schools in the U.S. and 5,000 schools overseas already use the Eureka software.

Eureka uses graphics to convey biology, chemistry and physics concepts through a combination of 3-D videos, simulations and experiments. It was developed in India by the software company Designmate.

Before he went into software development, Parker worked as an independent filmmaker, and he learned the importance of keeping an audience captivated.

Parker’s film aspirations began to be realized over a period of decades. From “NYPD Blue”-style detective films to a Doritos commercial, his stories began reaching audiences. He produced seven films, two commercials and a documentary.

However, it’s well known that independent filmmakers are perennially starved for cash, particularly when it comes time to distribute a movie that may have cost relatively little to make.

So as the economy declined, Parker had to refocus his skills and experiences. His own second act came in the form of the 3-D Eureka software. He relies on the skills he learned behind the camera to make sure Eureka’s videos are captivating for the audience.

“We’ve designed the software so that each animation is only three or four minutes long,” Parker said. “Now students don’t have to sit there and stay awake during a dull 20-minute presentation.”

“There are, of course, animations that teachers can find on the web, but a lot of them don’t have the interactivity component,” Parker said. “In these cases it’s just a passive watching experience. But with this software you can take a human heart in 3-D and you can dissect it and take it apart. It’s like you were in an operating room.”

Even as more and more schools, both locally and nationwide, have exchanged traditional textbooks for the digital versions, debate continues over whether students are spending too much time in a digital world. Parker argues that software like Eureka is able to strike a constructive balance between education and entertainment.

“There are friendly ways to learn by computer and there are ways that might not be as constructive,” Parker explains. “Video games are fun and may offer some purpose, but I think that having something that is education and entertaining at the same time is the better way.

Parker believes the time is ripe to continue to introduce his 3-D animation software into school districts.

“I’ve found that high school teachers tend to be getting younger and younger,” Parker said. “They’ve pretty much grown up with this technology. They already know how it works.”

Learning curve or not, the rewiring of the high school classroom is a transformation that can’t be stopped, Parker argues.

“Fifteen or 20 years from now, we’ll probably be using 3-D holograms,” Parker said. “Maybe it’s a headset that you wear or maybe it’s a virtual booth that you walk into. Who knows?”

Editor's note: This story has been corrected to identify the software developer.